


Snowblind

by Nox_Wicked



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch Era, M/M, Reyes vs. Reaper, mcreyes ust for the most part, references to John Carpenter's The Thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 18:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9284759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nox_Wicked/pseuds/Nox_Wicked
Summary: "Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?"Or, a mission to Antarctica goes nothing the way Reyes planned.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Warning now this is a little weirder than usual stuff I write, and parts of it don't always necessarily make sense. Still, ever since 1v1 mode came out a few months ago, I've been dying to write something for it. Fighting yourself to the death seems terrifying to me.

The mission should have been easy enough. 

The destination is Ecopoint: Antarctica. It's practically remote, which means no cover stories or backgrounds to memorize, no civilians to avoid or worry about, and no expected hostilities other than mother nature herself. If anyone on his team with a cock had the bright idea to take a piss outside, losing it should have been their biggest worry. 

The rescue beacon had been blinking back at Overwatch HQ for about forty eight hours by the time the higher ups had even considered the idea of sending a team out. There were other priorities to focus on. An important meeting between dignitaries in Stuttgart. A cargo train carrying new weapon tech that only a handful of people on the planet needed to know about. A public event to show off the new face (not Gabriel's) of the beloved task force protecting the world. Real important things. 

Then again, even Overwatch had it's limitations on technology. Conquering the polar storms in the sub zero temperatures of Antarctica was something even they hadn't figured out yet. Hell, wasn't that part of the reason they’d placed scientists out there in the first place?

Two weeks later, Jack Morrison is still unable to convince his superiors in the UN that he should be able to spare enough agents to extract the trapped climatologists. They reason that they can't risk their best members to die of hypothermia. 

Another week later, Commander Gabriel Reyes of Blackwatch is given the go ahead to take a small three man team instead. 

Despite the lack of expected hostilities, it wouldn't be a Blackwatch mission if there weren't complications. Gabriel has been given a strict deadline: Forty-eight hours, no exceptions. The 'summer' season in Antarctica is nearly at it's end, and once it's over no more transport ships can make the journey back. Gabriel can either meet the deadline, or he and his team can get comfortable in the cold for about six or seven months until the planes start running again. 

He glances over at McCree, huddled up in his jacket and scarf as the chilly transport ship rattles around them. The kid ( _not really a kid, not anymore_ ) has only ever seen deserts of sand and dirt before this mission. He'd argued with Gabriel earlier over the use of the word, refusing to believe that their destination shared any resemblance to his homeland. Even after Gabriel shoved peer reviewed articles with images of _cold deserts_ in front of his face, McCree still scowled stubbornly, the little shit refusing to back down completely and admit his Commander was right about it. 

The argument ended with light shoves and hands lingering a little too long where they touched. Gabriel wishes he could blame it all on Jesse but there's no point in lying to himself.

“Make sure you cover your ears,” Gabriel says while McCree tugs at a beanie similar to his own. “You'll want to pull your hood and mask up before we land too. No exposed skin unless you want to lose some patches.”

“Like I'd mess up this pretty face,” McCree grins at him. He turns to Bennett at his right, and adjusts the beanie again. “Hey, who do I look like when I do this?” 

With his head turned, Gabriel can't quite see the expression McCree's pulling, but from Bennett's poorly stifled laugh, he's pretty sure McCree is doing an impression of Gabriel again. 

“The transport ship does not need to be full for the return trip, you know,” Gabriel says, resisting the urge to pull McCree's hat down over his eyes. 

“That's cold, sir.”

“Make another pun before the mission is over, McCree. I dare you.”

 

*

 

Ideally, they would have been able to fly directly to the Ecopoint, but it's nestled a little too tightly in an ice canyon to be comfortably safe for that. Instead, they're dropped off at a nearby communications point and plan to ride in the old fashioned way.

The modified truck waiting for them at the drop off point looks like it's seen better days. The red paint on it's main body is chipped and rusted on the underside, and a spidery crack is making it's way across the left side of the windshield. The meagre few attendants waiting at the drop station have already hitched a trailer with a couple snowmobiles on the back at least. The climatologists will ride in the cab of the truck on the return trip if all goes well. It might be a little cramped, but complaints will most likely be kept to a minimum after what they've been through. The drop point attendants reassure Gabriel that the truck is in fine condition, no need to worry. He insists on extra loads of fuel for all the machines anyway.

McCree is amazed that the beat up truck doesn't hover like every other vehicle he's ever seen in his life, but one of the older attendants explains that a hovercraft wouldn't give the same grip as winter tires. It's hard to feel safer in it though, given the sound the truck makes when Gabriel turns on the ignition. 

Later on his fears come true and after driving along an endless road of ice and snow, the truck whines unpleasantly and stops running about an hour away from their destination. It becomes an ugly, rusted landmark of it's own amid the expanse of white around them, unmoving no matter how much Gabriel swears and works under the hood. They have no other choice but to load up what supplies they can, unhitch and ride the snowmobiles the rest of the way. Time is of the essence, and they need to make sure the targets are safe. They have to leave some of the food and water in the truck, but they'll be back soon enough that it shouldn’t be an issue. 

There's only two snowmobiles, and being the smallest of the three of them Jesse is forced to ride as a passenger with his commander. Despite the layers and layers of polyester and wool between them, Gabriel still feels a touch warmer with Jesse's gloved hands on his waist. 

McCree scoots in closer until his chest is pressed against Gabriel's back. “Happy to see me or something, cowboy?” Gabriel asks once Bennett starts riding ahead. By the way the mask over his face muffles his voice, he’d be surprised if Jesse could even hear him. 

“Pretty impressive if you can feel it through the three layers of pants I'm wearing, huh?” McCree says, batting his eyelashes innocently under orange tinted goggles. 

Gabriel allows a small laugh to escape him and hits the gas, catching up to their other team member. 

 

*

 

About halfway to the target location, Gabriel notices the other snowmobile slowing down in spurts and driving more and more irregularly. After that things start to turn into a real shit show. Part of it is Gabriel's fault. He shouldn't have assigned Bennett. Ramirez would have been the better choice, but her wife was due any day now. Gabriel hadn't wanted to position her too far away. Him and his damn bleeding heart.

Bennett lived in parts of the northern US that experienced regular winters, and apparently it made him cocky enough to think that gave him some kind of mastery over the cold. He isn't as wary of it as Gabriel and McCree, and sure enough, the unrelenting wind bites into him within minutes of being exposed to the open air. Gabriel thinks he can already see where some exposed parts of his skin is starting to turn black, but nothing can be done. They’re at the edge of the world, and there are no medics coming for them. It’ll be a harsh lesson, but apparently a necessary one. He doesn't let them stop and they keep driving. 

The storm happens so suddenly it's almost unreal. One moment the wind is howling around them as they drive, the next it's _screaming._

The open sky around them loses it's shade of bright blue, and rapidly fades into a familiar and unwelcome white as more and more thick flakes of snow kick up around them from the wind. It only takes moments and suddenly there's no visible way of telling where the ground ends and the sky begins. It’s all just one unending void of white. Gabriel can barely make out the other snowmobile nearby, and absently realizes Bennett's wounds are about to get much worse. 

The traitorous part of Gabriel's brain wants so badly to kill the engine, turn his back to the wind and wait for the storm to pass, but who knows how long that could take? If he stops he might not be able to go again, and Jesse's hands are gripping him tighter and tighter. He needs to get them to safety. Rest later.

The headlights of the snowmobile allow him to see at least a few feet in front of him, and the traction is good enough that he doesn't think the wind has blown them completely off course. He keeps driving straight and prays they reach their destination sooner rather than later. 

By his calculations, they should be about five minutes away from the Ecopoint when a dark silhouette emerges out of the whiteness to his left. It's unmoving, about the same height and shape as a man, and Gabriel nearly flips the snowmobile over in surprise. His hands jerk to the right on impulse, and behind him Jesse yelps loud enough to be heard over the violent blizzard around them. 

“What the fuck?!” McCree shouts once Gabriel's steadied their course, resisting the intense urge to stop the vehicle and see what nearly caused an accident. “You sneeze or something? Jesus Christ!”

“You didn't see that?” Gabriel shouts back. With their voices raised, they're still barely audible over the wind and whirring of the motor. 

“See what, the polar bear in a snowstorm? Can't say I did, boss!” Jesse clutches at Gabriel's jacket tighter than before. “Can you maybe not do that again for awhile? Or at least let me switch with Bennett if you do?”

Speaking of Bennett, Gabriel still can't see where he is. He can't hear the other vehicle either, but that could be the blizzard covering the noise. He doubts it, remembering how unsteady Bennett had been at the controls earlier. 

He must have been who Gabriel passed. There's no other explanation. The damned fool must have fallen prey to the same impulses that passed Gabriel's mind, and pulled over to try waiting out the storm. Or maybe his vehicle cut out, or flipped over from a sharp turn against the wind.

Either way, the blanket of all-consuming white around them makes it impossible to do a search. As loathe as he is to admit it, Gabriel can't help him. He can't go back for him. Not without getting himself and more importantly, _Jesse_ lost too. Besides, it would put their targets at risk if they get lost and can't find them. Hardening his heart for yet another rough mission, Gabriel realizes that when they get back home he's either going to have to write up a demotion letter at best, a eulogy at worst. He has a sickening feeling it's going to be the latter. 

 

*

 

As quickly as it had started the storm fades and the flag of Overwatch's Ecopoint signals they've finally reached their destination. 

Neither Gabriel nor Jesse mention Bennett's absence; a solemn, silent look between them says enough. Gabriel attempts to call via their team comm line, but unfortunately and unsurprisingly there's no answer from Bennett's end. They keep moving. Plenty of time for that guilt to weigh on them later. For now they need to readjust their plan. They're already a man and a couple machines down and the mission's barely even started.

“It's too quiet,” Jesse says, looking around at the empty walkways and small buildings while Gabriel grabs the bags of supplies from the storage compartments on the snowmobile. He's not wrong. Even after the shrieking wind and loud roar of the motor, it's the absolute silence of the Ecopoint that seems deafening. Breathing feels obnoxiously loud.

“Where is everyone?” Jesse wonders aloud, scanning the area. “I know it was stormin' not long ago, but you'd think there'd be some lights, or scuffling or... I dunno, _something._ ”

Gabriel frowns under his face mask, wondering the same thing. “They've probably bunkered down somewhere to try staying warm, maybe use as little resources as they could get away with. If they're smart, that's what they did anyway.”

“Well they are scientists, being smart is kind of their job, isn't it?”

“Don't start. Come on, the sooner we find them, the sooner we can get the hell out of here.”

Jesse has no argument or witty retort for that at least. Small favours. 

Above them, the radio tower looms. It looks like something's hit it pretty hard if the beams jutting out from an uneven side are any indication. Evidence of another past storm perhaps. There's no flashing lights to indicate whether the tower's in working condition or not though. According to Jack, there's been nothing but silence from the Ecopoint since the first few days of requesting aid. From the height of it, Gabriel doubts there were many volunteers willing to climb it to do some maintenance.

“Wonder if they have something here to help fix the truck,” Jesse says as he and Gabriel walk toward a set of doors. They’re attached to a panel built into one of the ice walls around them, similar to others in the area. “All this fancy tech and whatnot.”

“Maybe. I'm more concerned how we're gonna get all of them back to the drop site in time. Assuming the targets are still alive, we're down to one vehicle, and who knows how many passengers.”

Jesse's mouth is still covered by the face mask, but his expression reads through well enough. Determined, always so determined. “We've come out successful in worse situations, boss. We'll figure this out.”

Part of Gabriel wants to argue, but it's too damn cold and he needs to input a code to get in the door. At least Jack had managed to squeeze the proper security clearances for him before they left. SEP enhancements or not, breaking down steel doors on his own is no easy feat.

Jesse watches as Gabe's gloved fingers fly over the numeric pad, and after a long, nerve-wracking moment, the door slides open with a groan. 

Once they're inside, the temperature warms considerably. They make sure the door is shut again before slipping down their face masks and pushing up their goggles. The first breath is enough to relieve each of them of at least a little stress for the moment. 

“I hate the cold,” Jesse mutters, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Send me back to the desert any day – The _actual_ desert I mean!”

“I'll remind you of that next time you're bitching about the heat and bugs on your neck.” Gabriel readjusts the pack of supplies on his shoulder, unlatching one water bottle to hand to Jesse. Damn but the cold makes a man dehydrated. He waits until Jesse's taken a couple gulps before sparing one for himself and hitches it back to the bag. The hallway stretches out a fair ways in front of them, and the clock is ticking. “Let's get a move on.”

The building is deeper than he expected. Just how far had they carved into this hunk of ice? The lights don't bother coming on until Gabriel and Jesse pass beneath them, the power-save function still working at least. 

“Thinking a bunker or something to start?” Jesse asks quietly, southern drawl echoing off the walls around them. The hallway is small enough that they can barely walk side by side, and there's only a couple feet to spare above Gabriel's head. At least neither of them are claustrophobic.

“If we can find it, it's where I'd assume they are.” It's not like him to indulge in much small talk on a mission, but Jesse's voice hides the eerie silence, and the sound of it puts Gabriel's mind at ease.

They walk down a few more hallways, find several empty store closets, bathrooms, labs, and offices, but no sign of their targets.

They're just entering a stairwell as Jesse hums behind him in the hall. “Think maybe we picked the wrong-”

The door slams shut between them, the sound so sudden and sharp that it takes Gabriel completely off guard. Turning on his heel, he moves his hands to the door and tries in vain to push it back up into it's resting slot. “McCree? McCree!”

“I'm okay!” Jesse's voice answers behind the barricade. Gabriel's breath leaves him in relief. “What the hell though? Since when do these crappy doors just slam shut like that? Scared the hell out of me!”

Gabriel looks behind him at the stairwell. One flight leads up, one flight leads down. The lights aren't on. If not for Gabriel's better than perfect SEP-enhanced vision, he'd be in complete darkness. Is it the same on Jesse's side? “Generator might have cut out in this sector to save power. The doors must have an emergency lockdown mechanism or something.” He clenches his fist and resists smacking it on the door between them. “I'm going to check the lower level. See if there's any hints of where the power is prioritized. You try seeing if you can find a way around, or if there's any signs of the targets elsewhere. You have your comm line, report to me in an hour. We're still on a deadline.”

There's no answer at first. Then he hears Jesse clear his throat. “I'll meet back with you as soon as I can, sir.”

“Watch yourself, McCree.”

Once he hears Jesse's footsteps echoing further and further away, Gabriel lets out another breath and flicks on the flashlight clipped to his jacket. It's not much but at least he can see where he's stepping better.

As he descends to the floor below, his fingers twitch, missing the weight of his shotguns. 

 

*

 

As a child, Gabriel hated horror films. He remembers being all of eight years old, hiding in the shadows between the couch and the armchair in his living room when he should have been in bed. His older cousins had been playing a monster movie on the old holoscreen, unaware of his presence. Something about a creature that changed form, mimicking humans and dogs, and then suddenly becoming a horrific and grotesque _thing_. 

One particular jump scare involved a dead man's stomach opening into jaws and tearing another man's arms off. The sudden gruesomeness of the scene had made Gabriel shriek loudly in fright from his hiding spot. Spooked by the sound, even louder screams came from his cousins as they shot out of their seats in terror and dove away. It would have been hilarious if not for the fact that once caught and cursed at like never before, Gabriel had been sent back to bed without the satisfaction of seeing the ending. For weeks, he’d been afraid of the unnamed monster potentially imitating his friends and family. After all he'd never seen it die, even though he _knew_ monster movies always ended with the heroes destroying it. It only made sense. 

But still. The fear lingered. 

Later in life, he forced himself to watch every horror holovid he could find in order to try desensitizing himself to it all. He needn't have bothered; When the Crisis began, the attacks on LA were more horrifying than anything some movie crew could come up with. The monsters in his nightmares shifted from creatures of fantasy to omnics that glowed violently red, and corpses that resembled people he knew and loved.

Most of the monsters anyway. 

He'd rewatched that one particular movie multiple times when he was older, knew every scene and scare by heart. But no matter which version Gabriel watched, whether it was the original from a previous century or the dozen remakes that came out after it, that underlying fear always seemed to be present in every viewing. Especially in the ending. It hadn't been as happy as he'd once assumed it would be.

As he walks down the dark, freezing stairwell of the Ecostation, he thinks of that film again and shivers. He misses Jesse's small talk. He wishes he'd tried to break the door down. He doesn't like the idea of Jesse wandering alone in this place. They'd already lost Bennett, and now that Jesse isn't here to bring out Gabriel's optimistic side, he admits to himself that their third man is definitely dead. It's Gabriel's fault too, he's the one who kept driving when they could have stopped. Jesse probably would have stopped if he'd been in control of the snowmobile. He was still stubborn and naive like that. Spread his affection far too wide with that glowing grin of his. 

Gabriel keeps that dumb smile near the forefront of his mind as he descends further down the stairs and steps off into another hallway at the bottom. It keeps the monster in his memory at bay for a while at the very least. 

There's an eerie red glow at the end of the narrow hall. It’s coming from a small light above a closed emergency exit, bathing everything nearby in crimson. It puts Gabriel on edge as he checks the rooms he passes, trying to find what he needs. None of the doors he tries are locked, which makes the one upstairs closing all the more suspicious. It must be operating under a different mechanism setting than the basement level ones, which he counts as somewhat lucky. Halfway down the hall, he breathes a sigh of relief. A set of printed words reading _Main Power_ is on the wall next to a heavy door. Thankfully the power room isn't locked either.

When he steps inside and examines the room he finds several tiny lights on a panel with only about a third of them actually glowing soft orange. The labels underneath each light indicate where the electricity is being distributed, and after a quick glance at a map pinned to the wall, Gabriel realizes their targets must be grouped up in the building on the opposite side of the radio tower. No wonder there's so little light in this area.

Chances of the scientists being alive are slightly higher at least. Gabriel takes it as good news. The bad news is that it looks like there are several twisting halls, stairwells and doorways that lead to other sectors from Jesse's side. He could be anywhere. 

Gabriel looks at the map again and sets his jaw. Despite what he lets others believe, Jesse isn't stupid. He's Gabriel's best. Soon enough he'll be his second in command if Gabriel gets his way with their superiors. He can take care of himself. 

Still.

“McCree. New information, do you copy?”

The line is quiet for an unnervingly long moment. Then...

_“Copy, sir. What did you find?”_

Gabriel lets out a sigh of relief, unaware he'd been holding it in. “A map in the power room. Looks like they've concentrated most of their energy in the southern building.” He looks at the pinned paper again, focusing on the building names. “Cryo-Lab. Chances are that's where the targets are holed up. What's your situation?”

 _“Other than having to piss real bad, I'm fine. A lot of nothing on this end. Pretty sure I somehow ended up near a rec area, but it doesn't look like anyone's been in this building for some time,”_ Jesse answers. His tone sets Gabriel's mind somewhat more at ease. _“You holding up okay, boss?”_

“All clear here. Have you found an exit yet?”

 _“I think so. The-”_ a sharp, sudden crackle of static over the line nearly makes Gabriel pull the comm piece out of his ear. 

“McCree, repeat.”

Silence again. The tension returns to Gabriel's shoulders as the static sounds again.

_“...can't...s...tic...ad me sir?”_

“McCree, you're breaking up! Can you copy?” Gabriel does his best to keep his voice steady and calm, but the whole situation is making him more and more anxious every moment.

_“-re break...what...s...”_

Shit. Shit shit shit. “Repeat, you are breaking up, agent. Can you copy?” 

Nothing but more static. The sound is starting to make Gabriel's head ache a little. 

_“I...ca...ll meet...ou sou...abe...be ok...y!”_

Gabriel clenches his teeth and shakes his head. “South Building. Meet me there. Over.” Reluctantly, he turns off the comm. He can't focus as well as he should if he's practically deaf in one ear. Hopefully Jesse heard him. 

This whole mission has been giving him a bad feeling since it started. More and more he wants to just reunite with Jesse and leave, targets be damned. He can't though. Not after losing Bennett so pointlessly, and not without losing respect from Jesse. They'll get through this, he tells himself. It's just a technical problem. He's paranoid.

He looks at the map again. The quickest exit on Gabriel's end looks like a walkway up on the third floor that connects to the building their targets should be holed up in. At least Jesse heard where they were, he should be headed in the same direction. It's the best course of action so far, so Gabriel decides to take it. 

As he steps outside the power room and back into the hall, he peers down the opposite end of where the stairwell is and glances over at the red light. 

The door beneath it isn't shut anymore. Centred just beyond the open doorframe stands a hooded, black figure. 

It's not Jesse.

It's no damn scientist either. The hairs rising on the back of his neck tell him that much. Gabriel's hands immediately reach for twin guns that aren't there, and his fists clench uselessly when he realizes he's going to have to get up close and personal for this. From the way it's standing, the figure is most definitely staring at him. He thinks he's sees something pale peer out from beneath the shadow of it's hood, but everything in the hall is cast in that unsettling red and he can't be sure. 

“State your name and business,” Gabriel orders, trying to gain control of the encounter while slowly moving his hand to hover over the hilt of the knife strapped to his leg. There weren't supposed to be hostiles here, had Jack been missing something? No wonder Gabriel's instincts have been on high alert.

The person beyond the doorframe doesn't respond. They don't utter even the slightest of sounds, meanwhile Gabriel's every step and breath seem deafening. 

“I said state your name and business here,” Gabriel repeats, moving closer. The person – male, he'd guess by the build – still doesn't move or answer. 

“Where are the scientists stationed here?” He asks, opting for a different line of questioning. “I'm with Overwatch, I’m just here to help.”

He thinks he hears a faint huff of amusement, but it only makes him shiver. He opens his mouth again, and then suddenly the red light is gone and he's cast in pitch black darkness. 

It only lasts for a couple seconds before the light flickers back on, steadying as though nothing's happened, but the doorway is now empty. 

_Fuck!_ Gabriel seethes as he rushes towards the previously occupied space, scanning the corners as he runs past the doorframe. No one is there waiting to catch him unguarded, and the only other place to go is up another stairwell. He hadn't heard any footsteps but there's no way the hooded man snuck past him in the hall, it's too narrow. With no other option, Gabriel keeps his hand ready over his knife and heads upstairs. 

The main floor door is locked when he gets there, and he hisses out a few choice words in Spanish when it doesn't budge. There's another flight of stairs, hopefully his unidentified person went up as well. Unlikely, but what choice does he have?

He moves as fast as he can. Thankfully, the third floor door is open already. 

The hooded man isn't there. He can see he's not on the main floor either, since there's a clear view of it below him. Remembering the map labels, Gabriel places this as the Engineering building, and takes a small comfort in knowing he's got his directions correct at least. The floor he's on is more of a walkway circling the ground level below him, giving him a good view of a few workstations. The doors facing south are pulled down shut, though a couple small windows give him a limited view of the area outside. When he looks through one of them, he sees the building across from him on the other side of the radio tower. It looks similar to the one he's in, save for a row of glass windows along the top floor. A label on a side panel reads _Cryo-Lab._

Scowling, he turns his comm on again. The static isn't nearly so bad up here at least, barely even noticeable. Gabriel scans the snowy area outside the window again as he speaks. “McCree. If you can read me, I have a potential hostile on the premises. Repeat, potential hostile on the premises. He was in the northern building, but I lost track of...” He trails off as something catches his eye in the distance outside. 

It's Jesse. He knows that frame anywhere. By the way he's moving through the snow, Gabriel is pretty sure he's turned his comm off too. Should have known. Jesse wouldn't have wanted the static distraction in his head either. 

Gabriel watches him just long enough to catch him going into a side entrance of the Cryo-Lab. Good, that part of the message had definitely gotten though. But his relief at seeing Jesse safe is short lived when he turns his head a little and sees it on the roof of one of the nearby storage containers, like a blot of ink on a sheet of blank paper - The hooded man, staring right back at Gabriel.

At least, he thinks he's staring at him. The light of day, while dwindling fast, still allows Gabriel to see that his unknown figure is wearing a white mask under his hood, reminiscent of some kind of skull. It should look cheesy or stupid, but something about the pits of black where the eyes should be make Gabriel feel anything but amused. 

The man looks at him for only a moment. Then slowly, he turns his head towards the Cryo-Lab. Towards the door Jesse had gone through. 

Gabriel doesn't bother waiting to see more. He shuts off the comm again and runs as fast as he can towards the other side of the walkway, hastily pulling on his hood and goggles. His fingers fly over the keypad by the door to unlock it, and the resounding _beep_ barely finishes as he slams the door open and emerges onto another platform outside.

The man in the mask is gone again. It doesn't matter. Gabriel will deal with him later. He needs to get to Jesse. 

The narrow bridge is slippery from the wind and snow that's begun to pick up, but Gabriel makes good time through it anyway. He reaches the other side as fast as he can and silently thanks anyone listening when the doorway nearest to him opens without needing another passcode. 

“Jesse!” He shouts as soon as he steps inside the lab, pulling off his mask and goggles. “Jess-”

Glass shatters behind him. He barely has time to turn as a heavy weight knocks him down to the floor. Something sharp pierces his shoulder, and he cries out in pain. Claws. The man in the mask has claws on his gloves, now red with Gabriel's blood. 

Gabriel manages to bring his knees up into his assailant's gut and push him back enough to break his hold, though the feel of those sharp fingers tearing out of his skin is more painful than he expects. He only gets a brief second to take note of his surroundings as he tries to get to his feet. A cylindrical tank filled with something blue casts the room in light, reflecting off the fallen shards of glass. Behind the tank, there's a gap in the floor, somewhat similar to the engineering building but not nearly as wide. It's all he's able to take in before the man is on him again, a heavy boot colliding with Gabriel's side, knocking him back to the floor. 

It's not easy to make Gabriel feel pain, not after the SEP, but one swift kick from his attacker nearly has him tasting blood. Pushing himself through the ache, he sweeps a leg out and manages to knock the man slightly off balance for one glorious second. Throwing his weight up, Gabriel catches him by the waist and pushes back as hard as he can towards the gap in the floor. Gravity does the rest for him. He has no choice but to fall down too, but the other man will take most of the damage and somewhat cushion Gabriel's landing at least. 

That's what he expects anyway. What he _doesn't_ expect is for the body under his fingers to suddenly dissolve into smoke and leave him free falling alone. It takes him completely off guard, and Gabriel barely registers what's happened before he slams into another tank and falls back to the ground floor. 

He groans in pain. There's definitely some intense bruises forming from that impact. He tries to ignore the hurt as best he can, managing to get to his knees when he feels it. The cold muzzle of a gun – a shotgun no less - against the back of his head. The world around him seems to go silent. 

_“Pathetic,”_ a low, raspy voice mutters behind him, haunting in it's unrecognizable familiarity. The sound of it makes his bones feel like they're rattling in his skin. For a second Gabriel thinks he might almost welcome death if it'll mean he never has to hear that voice again. 

He just hopes Jesse escapes.

“Hey Fuckwad!”

A shrill cracking sound pierces the air. Gabriel barely has time to register it as the room suddenly bursts into a bright orange light, heat pouring out from behind him. 

The muzzle of the gun is gone from his head and immediately Gabriel takes the chance to roll out of the way and pull out the knife at his thigh. Before him he sees bright flames lick at the masked man's dark coat, enveloping him quickly. Gabriel swipes his knife forward, ready to plunge it into the man's neck, but once again only meets thick smoke. It twists and swarms and he nearly stumbles from the missed force of his strike, but manages to move back to evade any more close hits. 

“Gabe!” Jesse's voice calls out to him from across the room. When Gabriel looks up, he almost stumbles again in sheer surprise. The smoke is moving away. From where he's standing it almost looks like he can see the man in it, or at least an imitation of him. He's flickering unstably, the black pitch of his eyes boring into Gabriel's, and then the smoke is twisting away, up and out through an air vent in the ceiling. 

Gabriel stares after it for longer than he should. It takes Jesse shaking his arm to bring him back to the present. 

“Gabe! Gabe! Look at me!” 

He looks at him. Jesse's eyes are wide, his bangs are clumped together from sweat, and his skin looks pale. In his right hand Gabriel sees a flare gun, now empty. He must have found an emergency kit somewhere.

“Jesus, are you alright?!” Jesse asks, looking him over. “What the fuck? What the hell was that? How did it... you know, I mean with the smoke and-”

Gabriel tunes the rest out for a moment. Jesse is ok. He looks spooked, but he's ok. 

“You're injured,” Jesse says, voice serious. Gabriel follows his gaze to the blood dripping from his shoulder. 

“It's fine. No major arteries, biotics will take care of it.”

Jesse frowns but nods. Gabriel scans the room again before handing his knife over to Jesse. He sits down at a small computer station in the centre of the room, carefully pulling off half of his jacket and the layers beneath. He's got a couple small biotic field capsules strapped at his waist, and pops the cap off one over his exposed shoulder. He'd brought them mostly for the scientists but...

“Did you find the targets?” Gabriel asks, trying to distract himself from the unpleasant feeling of his skin stitching itself back together. 

“Seriously? Are we not going to talk about the guy who just tried to kill you then _turned into smoke to escape?_ ” Jesse asks, his voice raising in pitch. 

“I'm aware of what just happened McCree,” Gabriel answers, doing his best to keep his own voice steady and calm. He’s Jesse’s Commander, he has to stay level headed. “And believe me, I want to know what the fuck is going on too, but freaking out about it is not going to help us. We'll get to the bottom of what the hell just happened, but first I need you to stay calm and debrief me on our mission. Now. _Did you find the targets?_ ”

Jesse obviously looks like he wants to argue more, but thankfully he lets it slide. “Sort of,” he murmurs as his expression turns sad.

“Tell me.”

“After our comms went haywire I found some clues about what happened here. Some reports back in the rec room and living areas. There was a storm,” he says “a real bad one. Like, it looks like they stopped absolutely everything they were doing when it hit. Knocked out all their comms and trapped them here.” Jesse scowls suddenly and shakes his head. “They were unprepared. Some idiot ate most of their rations all to himself. I found a note from one of them counting what they had. Said they had enough to last a few days. I don't know how long ago it was written.”

Gabriel frowns. He hopes Jesse didn't stumble on a pile of corpses on his own. That kind of sight is something he never wants him to get used to. 

“Did you find them?” He asks again, gentler this time. 

“Technically we both did,” Jesse answers.

When Gabriel raises an eyebrow, Jesse points his free hand toward the tanks Gabriel had hit when he fell. When he realizes what's in them, his stomach lurches.

“They froze themselves?” he asks aloud, barely able to believe it. 

“Guess they figured they had no other choice,” Jesse says quietly. “I saw some of their computer stations and notebooks. Looked like they were doing some research on that kind of stuff – freezing organic matter and junk. They hadn't done a lot of human trials but they must have figured it was their only shot.” He raises his eyes to look over the line up of tanks in from of them. “I checked the vitals on the screens before you uh, dropped in. They're...”

“They're dead” Gabriel finishes for him.

“Yeah. Mostly. That last one on the end isn't,” Jesse points to the far right tank. The name on the screen reads _Zhou_ in English, a Chinese flag icon beside it. “She's holding up fine somehow.”

Gabriel takes a steadying breath as he feels the remainder of the biotic field evaporate away into the air. He's got some new scars to add to the collection, but otherwise his arm feels fine again. “Did you find any hints or instructions on how to extract them properly?” he asks while pulling his shirt back over his arm. 

“No. They didn't exactly leave a manual laying around,” Jesse grumbles, staring at Gabriel's shoulder.

“I see. Then we're leaving.” He zips up his jacket and cuts Jesse off before he can argue. “This mission is over.”

A moment of silence goes on too long for his liking. 

“We can't just leave her here.”

“We can and we will. Neither you or I know how to safely remove someone from cryostasis. At this point, she's got a better chance of survivability staying right where she is. Besides that, we have an unexpected hostile force in the area, armed and dangerous while you and I have barely anything to defend ourselves with. To top it off, we're in an unsafe, unfamiliar environment that could very well kill us if we're not careful. Already has, in Bennett’s case.” Gabriel stands up and looks down at Jesse with all the authority he can muster. “We're leaving. The mission failed. It's over.”

Jesse's jaw twitches. “And if she wakes up? She's Overwatch, you gonna let that... that _thing_ get her too?”

Gabriel glares down at him. “ _If_ she wakes up, I'll have Jack fucking Morrison and his band of merry fucking men personally come here to escort her back home. But me and you? We're leaving.” He reaches over and grabs his knife back from McCree's hands. He gathers up what he can, and sheathes the blade. “That's an order.”

 

*

 

Jesse leaves his communicator on a table near the tanks, as well as what is now his share of the water and food packs originally meant for the survivors. Gabriel chides him for being foolish – they might need the rations for themselves now, and the communicator will reach no one. Not unless Gabriel lets the drop station know how to access their _extremely classified_ radio channel, but Jesse does it anyway.

Gabriel watches from the corner while Jesse rearranges a pair of fluffy slippers left out by Dr. Zhou's cryo tank, making sure they're free of dust. He sees Jesse stand and pause, staring at the screen on the tank. 

“I'm sorry,” Jesse whispers quietly to it, soft enough that even Gabriel barely catches it. 

They bundle back up and head outside after that. The sky is completely black except for the billions of stars shining above them. It would be a real sight to behold if not for the issue of the masked maniac lurking around somewhere, waiting to kill them.

The snowmobile is parked on the northern side of the area. It's not even that far away, and yet the wind whipping at them slows their pace while the dim security lights of the nearby buildings improve their visibility by only the bare minimum. It takes far longer than it should to reach the vehicle, even with their flashlights on. When they do, Gabriel lets out another slew of words in Spanish that are in no way appropriate for polite company. 

“Can't say we didn't see this coming,” Jesse grumbles beside him as they look over the mess of wires and gored machinery. The fuel that had once been in the snowmobile's tank has spread out into the snow at their feet, like an ugly gasoline-scented Rorschach image. 

“No, but it was worth a shot.” At least they had taken the bags of supplies with them. “We need to get inside again. Get to cover and figure out a plan.”

“Yeah. We- _behind you!_ ” Jesse shouts, grabbing Gabriel by the jacket and shoving him to the ground. The crack of a shotgun blast echoes loudly around them as they tumble down into the snow together. Jesse cries out as he lands beside Gabriel, clutching at his side. When Gabriel looks he sees blood between Jesse's fingers. It doesn't take a trained doctor to see that some of the shotgun’s spread caught him. Gabriel doesn't wait around for another shot to go off as he scrambles back to his feet, scooping Jesse up into his arms and making a mad dash for the nearest door. 

Another blast splits through the freezing night air, barely avoiding Gabriel's body as he ducks away. When he looks up, he sees the keypad to get back inside has been obliterated. Unfortunately for him, the door doesn't take it as a sign to open. 

“Rec rooms!” Jesse says between pained breaths. “They didn't need a code!”

Once again Gabriel thinks of the map he'd found earlier and runs for the buildings Jesse must be talking about. He ducks and weaves as though he's running through an open minefield while their enemy opens fire chasing after them. A lesser man would be dead for sure, but Gabriel is no lesser man and Jesse is clinging to him again, peering around his shoulder to keep track of their enemy. 

“At your three!” Jesse warns him right before the gunman shoots from the right. Gabriel dodges back, taking cover near one of the storage containers. 

“There! That one's open!” Jesse motions to a door close by, wincing in pain. “I came from there earlier!”

Gabriel readjusts his grip and goes for it. They barely make it inside, the sound of the shotgun hitting the doorframe ringing out painfully in Gabriel's ears. Inside the long hall he doesn't think, he just runs. A narrow hallway means certain death if they get caught with their pursuer in it, they can't waste time. 

“The rec room is just at the end, keep going!” Jesse ushers him on. 

The walls feel like they're closing in tighter the further he goes. Gabriel is certain he hears heavy footsteps behind them as he sprints the last few meters towards an open room at the end of the hall. Seconds feel like an eternity and the hall still seems to stretch on for ages. He expects to feel gunfire shred him to bits at any moment as he runs, yet somehow he makes it through to the end. 

As soon as Gabriel's feet pass the threshold, Jesse reaches out and slams his fist against something on the wall. Another loud shot rings out, but it's blocked by a heavy door suddenly falling shut and closing them off from the hallway. When Gabriel looks around, he sees it's not the only one; three others have come down as well, effectively trapping the two of them inside the room and keeping whoever was after them locked on the other side. 

Neither Gabriel or Jesse make a sound as they wait and listen for the man in the hallway to do something. After several minutes of complete silence save for some shaky, pained breaths from Jesse, Gabriel takes a chance and moves them away to get a better look at his injury. 

The room they've found themselves trapped in is odd. The walls are decorated in a tropical theme, with long lounge chairs meant for a beach set up nearby. A psychological means to get through the long, frozen days, Gabriel assumes. No matter. The lounge chairs make a good place to lay Jesse down, and that's all that's important. 

“Not that I'm not loving this, but can our next mission please be somewhere with a beach?” Jesse asks, putting on a shaky smile while Gabriel starts carefully undressing him. “Hawaii, maybe Belize...”

“Sure, kid.” Hell, if they make it out of here, Gabriel will take him anywhere he wants. The freaking moon if he has to. Anywhere to keep that thing outside from finding him. 

Jesse tries to muffle a pained cry through his teeth when Gabriel moves him a little to pull off his shirt. The damage is pretty bad. Jesse's lucky he only got partially hit. A direct shot would have probably blown a hole right through his chest. What kind of gun did this kind of damage at that range? Other than Gabriel's own. 

“Damn boss, is this all it takes to get you to take my clothes off?” Jesse jokes again while Gabriel does his best to clean what he can, pulling out the rest of the biotic capsules on his belt. “Maybe we should go to Wreck Beach after instead.”

“You let yourself get shot up like this again and I'll never let you out of tac armor for as long as you live, you got that, McCree?” He might only be partially exaggerating. 

“Heh. I've had worse before. You're welcome, by the way.” That same grin still stays on Jesse's face, only wavering a little as Gabriel opens the biotic field over his wounds. 

“Thought that stuff wasn't good for gun injuries?”

Gabriel shakes his head. “It's not. But I can't let you bleed out here, and it'll keep your insides on your inside until I can get you to a medic.” Back at base Ziegler could fix him back up. She saved the Shimada kid from the brink of death, she can save McCree too. She has to. 

“If you say so, boss. I trust you.”

McCree doesn't talk too much more as the biotic field works it's way through his body. Afterward Gabriel does his best to bandage what he can. Jesse's still pale and obviously still in pain, but at least he's not bleeding anymore. On the downside, there's almost no more medical supplies left. 

Gabriel searches the room for extra med kits, but finds nothing except for the case for the flare gun Jesse's already used. 

“We gonna talk about what the hell that thing outside is yet?” The kid asks, interrupting the silence. 

There's nothing else to do other than figure out a plan, so Gabriel sighs and drops himself into one of the chairs next to Jesse's. “Honestly? I have no idea. There weren't supposed to be any hostiles here, why would there be? It's not like they were doing weapons tech or anything. The facilities here aren't exactly top notch either.” Any other base in the world would have at least given them some turrets to defend them. This one had no defences whatsoever, aside from the security doors. 

Jesse shifts in his seat, ignoring the disapproving glare from Gabriel when he moves his side too much. “How the hell did it pull that trick with the smoke? I ain't never seen anything like that before.”

Gabriel hasn't either. He has no idea what to make of it. “Some kind of weapon technology we haven't heard of yet, maybe.”

“Pretty fucking spooky tech, turning a solid man to smoke.” 

He can't argue with that. 

Jesse shifts again. “An omnic maybe?”

Gabriel shakes his head. He hadn't felt metal when he pushed them both over the edge back in the Cryo-Lab. And no omnic had a voice like that, he was certain. “I don't know what it is, but I do know that our chances of taking it down on our own are severely limited.” He clenches his fists in frustration. He should have asked for a bigger team. Six at least. Or snuck his own weapons in. Something. He should have done something more.

“It killed Bennett, didn't it?” 

Gabriel's head snaps up to look at Jesse. “What makes you think that?”

Jesse frowns, pulling off his beanie and pushing his bangs out of his face as he stares at Gabriel. “It makes sense. Think about it. He might not have been the best, but Bennett was still Blackwatch. Getting taken down by a storm isn't how we usually go out. And didn't you see something on the way here? Back when you nearly flipped us over?”

The thing in the snowstorm had been dark. It was possible. “It could have been Bennett I saw.”

“You don't think he would have been waving around, calling out to get our attention? I would have if I thought I was gonna get left behind and my team didn't know my situation. Especially in a place like this.” Jesse sits up a little straighter, only flinching a little at the pain in his side. “One man down to start off, and then that weird thing in hall where the door came down between us... It's like we were getting separated on purpose. I mean, it could just be coincidence but I don't feel like it is, you know?” His tongue peeks out to run over chapped lips. “Boss, I think it knew we were coming.”

The more he thinks about it, the more he agrees. He just doesn't know how the hell the man would have known when they would arrive. A mole on the team? No, impossible. All of his agents were as loyal as could be. A tapped radio channel or meeting possibly?

“We need backup,” Gabriel admits reluctantly. “Without it, and with no weapons or defences, retreat is our next best option.” He glares at the floor, cracking his knuckles for lack of anything better to do in his frustration. “Bastard outside probably knows we're limited on time too. If we miss that ride back and he's still here, we're dead meat.” 

“We won't miss it,” Jesse says. “We'll get out of this.” 

The determination in his voice is sweet. Foolishly reassuring.

“And after we do,” Jesse adds “you're taking me to that nudey beach.”

 

*

 

Gabriel can go days without sleep. He won't be at his absolute best by the end of it, and he sure as hell isn't pleasant company when it happens, but he can do it. 

Jesse however, does not have SEP-enhanced blood pumping through his veins. He needs rest like a normal man, especially now that he's injured. They can't go anywhere in the dark of night anyway so Gabriel takes watch while Jesse reclines his chair further and dozes off for a couple hours. 

Sleeping, Jesse looks so peaceful. Even though they're in one hell of a dangerous situation, he seems so open and vulnerable lying there beside Gabriel. Like he's unafraid so long as his commander is there watching over him. 

Jesse holds his hand while he sleeps, warm fingers curled around Gabriel's own. His breath comes out just heavy enough to be softly snoring. His bangs keep falling back into his face, no matter how many times Gabriel gently pushes them away. Still, he pushes them back once more. Jesse's soft expression puts him at ease somehow, and with no one else around he takes his time looking. He's already memorized every scar and freckle on the kid's face, but it doesn't matter. He doesn't know when exactly the delinquent punk he pulled out of Deadlock became so important to his own well being, but at this point he’s stopped trying to question it. 

It's when he catches himself staring at Jesse's lips a little too long that he realizes how inappropriate he's being. Carefully, he pulls his hand away. It feels like it's freezing without Jesse's touch. Gabriel pulls his gloves back on. 

Jesse wakes up ten minutes later. As soon as he’s alert enough he immediately insists that Gabriel try and get at least an hour or two of rest himself. They need to be at their best before they try and run, and the doors around them are sealed tight. Jesse can keep watch just fine, he's done it a million times before. Gabriel wants to argue, but at the same time, knows they have a better chance of staying put in the safe room until the sun starts to rise in a few hours. He can spare a short rest. 

He sleeps for thirty minutes. When he wakes up, the main door is open and Jesse is gone. 

 

*

 

Gabriel is absolutely livid with himself. He knew the risks but still let his guard down and McCree paid the price. 

He doesn't know how the hostile got inside, or how he disabled the panel for one of the security doors, and he especially doesn't know how he managed to take Jesse without alerting Gabriel, but however he did it he's made it obvious he wants Gabriel to come after him. 

Gabriel wants to throw something, wants to break everything he can get his hands on, especially the man who's taken Jesse from him, but it's useless. He needs to focus. Time is of the essence, and the more he wastes, the less likely he is to find them. Compartmentalizing as best he possibly can, Gabriel gets his gear back on and runs outside into the cold darkness. 

The footprints in the snow are nearly covered in fresh powder when Gabriel sees them. If not for his flashlight and heightened sense of sight, he'd have missed them completely. There's only one set of them, and they're a few sizes larger than Jesse's. Again, Gabriel has the sinking feeling that whoever was underneath that black hood wanted him to find them. His hostile target doesn't seem the type to leave a trail unintentionally. 

He manages to follow the tracks back to the Engineering building. One of the doors on the side has a nasty scratch in it, and Gabriel winces at the memory of sharp claws in his shoulder. He opens the door without hassle, but it does nothing to calm him. Inside, the large room is silent as a crypt.

The man in black hasn't bothered to hide. Instead he's laid Jesse down on the middle of the floor and is kneeling over his body, staring down at him unashamedly. Gabriel's heart feels like it's stopped until he sees Jesse's chest slowly rise and fall. He knows he hasn't snuck up on them, but the other man makes no move to try attacking him. He doesn't even bother facing him.

 _“How long has it been since you pulled him out now? Four, five years?”_ That unsettling voice asks, breaking the silence of the room.

Gabriel narrows his eyes, pretending like that voice doesn't disturb the hell out of him. “No idea what you're talking about.” How the fuck did he know about Jesse's past? As far as anyone else outside Blackwatch was concerned, Jesse's recruitment was classified. 

_“Heh. That's cute, you trying to protect him.”_ The man brushes Jesse's hair out of his face, exactly how Gabriel had done only hours ago. _“A wasted effort though. He won't appreciate it. In the end, he's just a little ingrate.”_

“Back away from him.” Gabriel misses his guns more than he ever has in his life. “I mean it.”

 _“You let him get away with too much. Got soft on him. Lost his respect.”_ The man scoffs, trailing a clawed thumb down Jesse's cheek. It doesn't draw blood, but he knows it could. _“You let him run. Weak hearted fool. A true master doesn't let his prized possession just walk away and abandon him.”_

“What the hell are you talking about?” Gabriel asks, stepping forward carefully. He almost never attempts to speak with hostiles, he's a better killer than negotiator, but he has no other options. He's pissed as hell, but he can't risk the man hurting Jesse. “What do you even want here? Information, tech? You obviously could have taken it by now. Why screw around with us like this?”

The man doesn't answer him. Gabriel resists the impulse to strike while his back is turned.

“I assume you’re behind my other agent disappearing in that storm?”

The man scoffs. _“Bennett was a weak link. Always has been. You work better without him. Besides, I needed to recover. No other source for it around here. Not really.”_ It almost sounds like he sighs as he stays focused on Jesse. _“As for our little ingrate…”_ Gabriel watches with bated breath as sharp fingers move down to Jesse's neck. _“He just lacks discipline. But he's still young here. I can fix it this time,”_ he murmurs. 

“You're not taking him.”

At last, the hooded man looks over at him. The pale skull mask seems to be almost laughing. _“You've been thinking about it, haven't you? Acting on those thoughts and dreams about him?”_

Gabriel freezes in place, taken off guard by the comment. “I don't know what you mean.”

This time the man really does laugh at him. The sound of it is awful, echoing all around them. _“Denial. I remember. So much denial.”_ He looks back at Jesse. _“He'd do it, you know. Crawl into your bed, beg so sweetly for your touch. That puppy crush of his is still there at this point. He wants you more than anything in the world. Would do anything to gain your approval. Loyalty like that is the rarest thing on earth. And his skin is so soft when you touch him...oh, the sounds he makes... Denying yourself of it all is such a wasted opportunity.”_

“What. Do you want?” Gabriel seethes. His fingers itch for his knife. “If it's McCree, why not just leave with him when you had the chance?”

 _“Curiosity,”_ The man replies. _“I wanted to see how quickly you'd come for him. He means so much to you after all. Saving him from his old life was the highlight of yours, wasn't it?”_ The man lifts a clawed finger to tilt Jesse's head slightly. _“Your devotion to each other really is something else. Another time, another place, the two of us might have been able to do some great things with him. Taught him so much. Kept him loyal. Made him into something incredible.”_ The man sighs, deep and tired. 

_“But me and you? In the end there can't be more than one of us outside of this place. Not anymore.”_ Almost gently, the man pulls away from Jesse and slowly rises to his feet. _“Don't worry though, I'll fix things. I'll fix him. But first...”_ he reaches into his long, black coat while Gabriel looks for the best source for cover. _“You need to die.”_

The blast of the shotgun goes wide as Gabriel throws himself to the right, but the building is small and cramped, and he doesn't expect his luck to last very long. He spares a look at Jesse around the corner of the desk he's hidden behind. Shockingly, Jesse is still unconscious. He must have been given some kind of sedative, no way he sleeps through gunfire otherwise.

 _“Why bother struggling?”_ The man asks him. Gabriel hears his heavy boots thudding across the cold floor, coming nearer and nearer. _“We both know how this will end. You have no weapons, no med kits, and no back up. You're running on borrowed time at this point.”_

Gabriel knows the man is waiting for him to try running out of cover. But if he waits too long, his attacker will just come close enough to shoot around it. Bracing himself for the weight, Gabriel grips his hands against the bottom of the desk and throws it as hard as his enhanced muscles will allow towards the man in black. 

The second his distraction is up in the air, Gabriel makes a break for an open stairwell in the back of the room. He runs up the steps as fast as he can and ends up back on the upper walkway overlooking the main floor. He doesn't see or hear the other man anywhere. 

An unsettling cold raises the hairs on the back of his neck, and he acts on pure instinct as he unsheathes his knife and swipes it in a twisting arc behind him. 

Black globs of blood speckle the nearest wall as the knife makes contact with the masked man's left arm, drawing a hiss of pain from him and knocking the gun in his hand to the floor. Gabriel has no time to celebrate, not when there's a second shotgun in the man's right. He moves to dive past the man's weaker left side, but he's not quite fast enough. A burning pain suddenly hits him in his leg, lighting his nerves on fire. He drops to the floor and howls in agony, unable to help himself. He's never felt this kind of pain before. What kind of unholy shotgun shells was the man even using? And how the hell was he able to wield two weapons like that without issue? As far as Gabriel knows, he and Jack were the only ones capable of tactics like that. 

He rolls forward as his attacker shoots again and just barely misses Gabriel's head. His leg feels like it's on fire, but he doesn't let himself focus on it for too long. He lunges back and swipes out with his knife again in rapid strikes, more to keep the masked man focused on avoiding him instead of shooting again. It's not the best plan, but his options are limited. One well aimed hit from that gun and Gabriel is done for. _Jesse_ will be done for.

He manages to get a few shallow hits in on the man's torso, but it only leaves scratches on his armor and Gabriel's injury is affecting his speed. The masked man dodges to his right, and Gabriel screams in pain as he feels a sudden swift kick to his bleeding leg. He stumbles for a moment, and his attacker takes full advantage of the opening in his stance to slam the side of his shotgun into Gabriel's head. 

He must black out for a few seconds because he doesn't even remember hitting the floor. One moment he's falling, the next his head is throbbing in pain, pressed up against the cold metal tiles. Armored boots enter his field of vision, skewed by the angle of Gabriel's head. His knife is still in his hand, but it's practically useless when he's at such a disadvantage. He's bleeding, dizzy, and done for. 

Seeing the discarded shotgun from earlier on the floor just beyond the man's feet almost seems like cruel irony. 

_“Stop fighting,”_ The man says above him. _“Trust me. This is a mercy. A quick death is something you should be more than grateful for.”_

“Is that what you'll give McCree in the end?” Gabriel asks, spitting blood on the floor. “Is that what he deserves?” One second. That's all he needs is one second.

The man pauses in thought. _“Maybe. That's up to him in the end I suppose. If he stays lo-”_

Gabriel throws his knife up towards the man's face. It passes through smoke, but it's enough. 

He lunges right through the incorporeal body, reaching out and closing his fingers tightly around the solid grip of the shotgun's handle. In one last desperate move, he twists his battered body around on the floor and raises his weapon just as the man in black rematerializes in front of him. 

He doesn't wait for any more surprises, aims the barrel at the man's head and pulls the trigger.

 

*

 

The following moment feels like an eternity. 

Gabriel gasps for breath, exhausted and aching while watching the motionless body on the floor carefully. The white mask is slightly askew, somehow undamaged from the shotgun blast. The hint of a bloody jawline peeks out from underneath it. 

He crawls closer. Thick blood seeps out in a pool around the body. If it is blood. It's black as tar, and smells like dirt and rot. The man's chest doesn't move to breathe. He's dead. He has to be dead. If a shotgun blast to the head didn't kill him, nothing will. He _has_ to be dead.

Gabriel moves even closer. He can see the wear and tear of the man's clothes better now. Little tatters and rips, dents in the armor. Everything is much more damaged up close except for the mask staring up at him. He knows it's unwise, he should be gathering Jesse up and hightailing it the hell out of there as fast as he can, but some morbid curiosity gets the better of him. He reaches out towards the man's face. 

His fingers catch the edge of the mask, trembling. He feels like he's in that movie that terrifies him so much, watching as the monster turns and slowly reveals its grotesque attempt at being human. 

He should leave it. He should just let go and leave it. He can't. 

He pulls the mask off with one quick twist of his hand. 

The rotten, earthy smell floods his nostrils as a rush of black smoke flies up into his face and knocks Gabriel back in surprise. He coughs and sputters as he accidentally breathes some of it in. It tastes disgusting and foul in the back of his throat, but otherwise the smoke doesn't harm him or materialize into a man again either. Instead it floats in the air for a moment, hovering for a couple seconds and then suddenly falls back to the ground, dissipating into nothing. 

The body before him is no longer a body. Instead, there's a black silhouette on the floor in the shape of the man's coat, as though he'd melted right into it. Blood drips down from Gabriel's brow, but he doesn't bother wiping it away. What the hell had he just witnessed?

Down below on the main floor, he hears a groan. 

“G...Gabe...?”

He turns his head sharply to peer over the walkway and sees Jesse groaning on the floor as he slowly comes back into wakefulness. “Gabe, where're...”

He scrambles closer towards the edge, pushing through the pain of his injuries. “Jesse! I'm here!” He coughs again. “I'm here...” He sees McCree struggle to find him, and it almost physically hurts him. “Stay there, I'm coming for you.”

Dignity be damned, he crawls his way down the stairs he'd come up. He leaves a bloody trail from where he drags his leg, and he moves slower than a new recruit on training day, but he doesn't stop. He keeps moving until he's got Jesse's face between his hands, checking him over for damage. “I'm here. You're okay, I'm here.”

“He snuck up on me... m'sorry,” Jesse says, trying to sit up. Gabriel doesn't let him. 

“Are you hurt?” He asks.

“No... Not more'n before anyway. Jus' really tired... Think he pricked me with somethin' in my neck, that sonofabitch.” Jesse makes a weak sound as he finally pushes himself up into a sitting position, waving Gabriel's hands away. “Did you get him?” he asks. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I got him.” It feels strange to say, even after seeing the evidence on the floor. 

Jesse's lips curl into a familiar grin. Suddenly all the worry Gabriel's been holding for what feels like forever lightens considerably. “I knew you would. Ain't nobody taking down Gabriel Reyes, not even some freaky smoke monster. I wasn't worried.”

Jesse looks like he's about to say something else, but Gabriel kisses him first to shut him up.

 

*

 

There's only one biotic capsule left in the supply bag. Paired with the SEP chemicals pumping through his veins, It's enough to patch Gabriel's leg temporarily. After that, they grab what little supplies they can, pull on their gear, and take their chances walking. The frozen desert beyond the canyon almost hurts Gabriel’s eyes, even through his goggles as it reflects the rising sun’s light off the snow, but he adjusts to it soon enough. Walking out into the tundra is risky, and in their condition, downright stupid, but both of them are willing to take the gamble rather than stay put and starve. Miraculously, no sudden storms hit, and the wind is somewhat calm for once as they lean against each other and take the journey one shaky step at a time. 

After a couple miles Gabriel wonders if some higher power is watching out for them when they find Bennett's vehicle half buried in a snowdrift. It's tipped over, and it takes more than a few tries to get it running again, but eventually the motor roars to life, echoing out into the tundra. Jesse looks like he might cry of happiness, blinking his eyes rapidly behind his snow goggles. He makes no jokes as he climbs on behind Gabriel, wrapping his arms tightly around his chest as they ride away through the snow. 

The beat up truck is still dead when they find it but the extra rations of food and water they'd left inside the cab are a welcome sight. Besides, finding the truck reassures them that they're going the right direction at least. Their lucky break continues for a little while longer after that. There's enough fuel left in the tank that they can see the familiar drop site in the distance just as the snowmobile's motor finally sputters out and dies. Wasting no time, they both run as fast as they can the rest of the way and make it to their extraction site with less than an hour to spare. 

“Told you we'd make it,” Jesse murmurs against Gabriel's shoulder later as they ride the air shuttle back to base. Morrison's already been alerted of their return, and Dr. Ziegler is waiting and ready to fix them back up the second they land. Afterward, Gabriel is going to have to write on hell of a report once he's recovered enough, but in the meantime he's glad for the small moment of peace with Jesse. 

“Guess you were right. Suppose we're going to that beach after all,” Gabriel says, smiling as he tiredly leans his head against Jesse's. If anyone else on board the ship notices the two of them tightly holding each other's hand, they wisely keep it to themselves. 

 

*

 

Almost reverently, Gabriel's fingertips brush over the scars on Jesse's hip. He traces them over the deep pockmarks and faded skin, mapping out the evidence of where the blast of a shotgun caught him. There are other marks, much fresher, but Gabriel is the one responsible for those and feels no shame from them. He should be exhausted and on the verge of sleep like Jesse is, especially after the things they'd just done with each other, but every once in awhile the SEP granted him some extra perks. Getting the chance to admire his lover in bed just happened to be one of them.

“Mmf” Jesse mumbles, curling up closer to Gabriel's body. The bed sheets slide further down. “Tickles.”

“Sorry.” Gabriel grins, leaning over to press a kiss to Jesse's temple while his thumb rubs slow circles against his scars. “Can't keep my hands off you I guess.”

Jesse's eyes stay closed, but a smile tugs at his lips. “Smooth one,” he mumbles tiredly. “Who knew you had it in you?”

“Who had what in who now?” Gabriel teases, moving his fingers down to lightly pinch at Jesse's thigh. A hand swats his away, but when he looks back at his face Jesse's eyes are open and he's laughing. He looks happier than he's been in ages, and it's all focused at Gabriel.

It's impossible not to kiss him at that point. And once he starts, he can't stop. Jesse doesn't tell him to either, just moans sweetly and rolls them over as they get themselves worked up to start round two. 

“Lemme get you cleaned up,” Gabriel murmurs against Jesse's skin later, after they've both finished again. Jesse only hums in response, sighing when Gabriel kisses his shoulder. 

The ensuite bathroom is a little chilly when Gabriel steps into it to grab a cloth. Already, he wants nothing more than to crawl back into his bed and curl up to Jesse's warm body. Knowing that he can, that he's welcome and wanted there, is better than anything he could ever imagine, and he can't help but smile to himself as he runs the washcloth under the tap. 

He glances up into the mirror out of habit. His eyes are still dark with lust, it seems. Gabriel can barely even make out the brown in them. Then again, with a lover like Jesse he shouldn't be surprised. Enthusiasm really does go a long way. He turns off the tap and wrings out the excess water from the washcloth. Still smiling, he looks back towards his bed, turns out the light in the bathroom, and pays no mind to the small coughs that slip out of him during the night.


End file.
